Fireworks
by loveandwar007
Summary: Takes place right after "Emotion Sickness." Ron learns the truth about Kim and Josh Mankey's breakup, while contemplating his own feelings towards her.


A/N: Hi all, it's me again! So I was rewatching the episode "Emotion Sickness" (for like the ten millionth time!) and this sort of "what if" idea came to me. Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. KP belongs to Disney.

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"_So, I uh…guess the crush and everything was all Moodulator, huh?"_

"_Not everything. There's still fireworks."_

If there was one aspect of this life that Ron Stoppable knew he would never be able to understand, it was girls. After two and a half years of roaming the halls of Middleton High, he noticed that they squealed at the slightest exciting or repulsive thing, wore make-up and clothes that were considered "in," even when some of them were already good-looking to begin with. _And what is with the whole "going to the bathroom in groups" thing? _In his case, the worst thing of all was that when it came to matters of the heart, girls talked in circles instead of just coming out and saying how they felt—and Ron's best friend was no exception.

_There's still fireworks…_

What had Kim _meant _by that? Last Friday had been the most confusing day of Ron's life, the day of the Middleton Days Festival. KP had _totally _not been herself, and it had taken awhile for Ron to figure out it was because Kim had had a mood altering device stuck to her. Almost all that day, though, she had acted like she was crushing on him. _Really _crushing on him, culminating in the most random, silly, scary…_wonderful_ lip-lock he had ever experienced. It was nothing like when he had his very first kiss with Zita Flores, during their month-long fling together. Nor did it feel like Yori's peck on the cheek at Yamanouchi, sending tingles down his spine. No, this kiss had been in a league all its own. When Kim's lips had crushed against his, Ron felt as though his entire body had been electrified, and for the first few moments, he had attempted to pull away.

But he couldn't. As the kiss lingered, Ron found himself frozen to the spot…and before he knew it, he was kissing her back. Kim Possible, his best friend since they were four years old…and he was practically _making out _with her in the middle of the hallway! No wonder Wade had fallen out of his chair; it must have looked too bizarre. Well, he wasn't the only one totally freaked out by it. The most frightening part of the whole thing was not that Ron had kissed her…but that he hadn't wanted that kiss to end.

All weekend, every moment that he wasn't gorging on nacos with Rufus or bashing zombies over at Felix Renton's house, his thoughts had been dwelling on that kiss. Now it was Monday, and Ron had spent the whole morning in class with Kim, neither of them bringing up anything about that day. He wondered if this was nagging his best friend as much as it was him.

As the bell rang and Ron made it to his locker, after a particularly grueling algebra lesson, he heard a girl's high-pitched laugh behind him. _Giggling…another thing I don't get_.

"Josh, cut it out!"

Looking around, he saw Tara, one of Kim's fellow cheerleaders, engaged in some kind of playful wrestling match with Josh Mankey, now Kim's ex-boyfriend. Ron chuckled to himself as he watched them. He couldn't believe he'd actually blamed Kim's Moodulator behavior on her and Josh's breakup. Even Kim herself had said the whole thing was mutual, no hard feelings whatsoever.

"Do they _have _to do that in the hallway?" came a disgruntled voice, and Ron turned to see Kim wrench her locker open next to him, barely casting a sideways glance at Josh and his new squeeze. "Seriously, get a room…or a janitor's closet, or something." She threw her algebra books into the locker with unnecessary force and slammed it shut.

"Uh KP, do ya think we could go over that ratio stuff we talked about in class?" Ron asked, flipping through his textbook. "'Cause I'm totally lost."

"Later Ron, I've got a dance committee meeting about prom," Kim replied hastily, pulling out a purple portfolio stuffed with papers.

"Seriously? Prom's like—four months away."

"Ron, it's _only_ the biggest dance of the year," Kim said indignantly, her hands on her hips. "We've been planning since before Christmas. Anyways, gotta run." She cast one more disgusted look at Josh and Tara before brushing past Ron towards the gym.

_It is just me, or is she really bugged about something?_

Ron shrugged and made to shut his math book, when he noticed Kim had casually dropped a folded piece of paper onto the page he was opened to. What was this? Maybe she was _actually_ giving him the answers to her homework. _Fat chance_, he thought. She hadn't let him cheat off of her for the past twelve years, why would things change now? He threw his books in his locker and unfolded what turned out to be a hurriedly written note:

_Meet me in the library during lunch hour. _

_Need to talk with you._

The vagueness of the message and the blunt tone of the words told Ron that this could not be anything good. But what had he done wrong? He had been doing alright with his homework and hadn't messed up on a mission in a long time. Heck, it had been a few days since he lost his pants in public, and for Ron, that was a record. What was going _on_?

The only conclusion he was able to draw by the time lunch hour came turned out to be the very thing he himself had been dwelling on that morning. Kim must have wanted to talk about the kiss. It must have confused her just as much as it had him, and she wanted to see if it was just the Moodulator effects…or maybe something else.

Ron went into the library and found Kim sitting at one of the short tables. To his relief, Ms. Hatchet, (or as he liked to call her, "The Library Nazi"), was at lunch, as was everyone else, so the room was completely deserted. They were entirely alone.

_Okay, chill out,_ he told himself as he approached the table. _It's KP, it's just Kim. Ya know, that girl you've known your __entire__ life? You can do this…_

"Hey," Ron said, his voice squeaking, and he blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. Kim looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

"Amp down, I'm not mad at you," she said, pulling out the chair next to her so Ron could sit down. He looked over at her, all his anxiety forgotten when glancing at her face. He had never seen Kim look so uptight, her hands wringing together on the table in front of her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking.

"Listen…I haven't been completely honest with you about something."

Ron's heart leaped into his mouth. _I was right…it __is__ about the whole Moodulator thing!_ Was she really, truly going to tell him that maybe it wasn't totally fake? That maybe, just maybe, Kim felt something in that kiss as well?

"I haven't even told Monique, so don't go blabbing this to her. I'm telling you and only you…'cause I've always been able to trust you, no matter what."

_Ohhh, boy…this is huge. _Ron felt like he was going to pass out when her next words caught him by surprise.

"Remember when I said that Josh and I just 'grew apart'?"

Ron's head whipped around. This was unexpected…

"Uhh—um, yeah, I remember," Ron stammered, completely taken aback.

"Well…that was a lie," Kim said, a harsh tone creeping into her voice. "Josh…that _creep_, it was all him. The only thing I blame myself for was not seeing him for what he really was."

It was the most Kim had spoken so far, and now Ron could hear in her voice that she either had been crying or was going to cry any minute. He was at a complete loss for what to say, and decided to just let her get this off her chest.

"I caught him and Tara at the mall alone together one night a couple weeks ago, heading into a movie. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, so I asked him about it on our next—and last—date. I didn't attack him about it, but boy, did he act like it. '_What's the big deal if I hang out with another girl?' _he said._ 'You hang out with Stoppable all the time._' I tried to tell him that it's totally different with you. I said, '_you know Ron and I are best friends. But how do I know you and Tara aren't making out in the movie theater or something?_'

"Well, that _really_ set him off. '_What—you think I'm __cheating__ on you?!_' I told him that was exactly what I thought. And then…" Kim's fists were clenched tightly now, her face contorted in anger, "…then he said, '_Well, I don't know what to think when you're hanging around with that __loser__ all the time either!_'"

Kim crossed her arms firmly over her chest, but Ron felt only slightly fazed. He was used to people calling him a loser, and he and Mankey had never really been on good terms to begin with. But he knew, ever since they were children, that Kim couldn't stand it when people insulted her best friend, calling him that hurtful word…and the fact that she heard it coming out of her boyfriend's mouth had to have been a nasty blow.

"I should have walked away right then and there, but we just kept on yelling at eachother; people were starting to stare at us now. I tried to force him to take it back, but he wouldn't. We were both too angry now to take back anything. Finally he told me, '_If you're so __devoted__ to him, why don't you go date __him__ then?'_"

Ron's mouth went dry, and his heart skipped a few beats. _Here it comes,_ he thought. He cleared his throat.

"And…and what did you say?" he asked quietly.

"I told him I'd date a supervillian before I ever went out with _him_ again! _'Go suck Tara's lips off! See if I care!'_ And…then I walked out. It was over."

"So…you broke up because of me?" Ron said slowly. Kim nodded, staring down at the table, avoiding his gaze.

"It's almost like he was _jealous_ of you, so he thought insulting you was the right thing to do." She snorted slightly, "I can't believe what an idiot he was…what an idiot _I've_ been."

The slight smile disappeared, and Ron's best-friend sense began to tingle. He realized now that this was one of those moments where Kim just wanted him to be there for her, like he had always been. He hesitantly reached up and wrapped his arm gently around her shoulders.

"Kim…I—I'm sorry. I know you really liked him."

"He always seemed so different; not like those other airheads who always pick on you," Kim said, her demeanor changing completely. "But hey…I guess there actually _is_ something I _can't_ do: resist a hottie, no matter how big a _jerk_ he is!" She pounded the table with her fists as a small sob escaped her throat. "When it comes to guys…_I'm_ the loser, Ron." Her voice had become choked with emotion, and angry tears trailed silently down her cheeks.

"Aw, Kim…don't cry, please don't cry," Ron soothed, pulling her a little closer to him and rubbing her shoulder consolingly. "He's not worth it, KP, really." He couldn't stand seeing Kim cry like this, and wanted more than anything, at that moment, to find the guts to pound Mankey into a pulp the next time he saw him. _No_ one was going to hurt his best friend this bad and get away with it. He fished around in his pockets for a Kleenex when Rufus popped out, obviously having heard everything, and gave Ron a pack of tissues hidden in the bottom of his pocket.

"Thanks buddy," Ron whispered as Rufus slipped back out of sight. The little mole rat usually found a way to get himself involved in whatever Ron was up to, but also was smart enough to know when his master just wanted to be alone with his best friend. Judging by Kim's expression, this was definitely one of those moments.

"Kim," Ron began softly, handing her a few tissues, which she gratefully accepted, "you are _not _a loser. You're smart, pretty, popular, and you kick supervillian butt almost all the time. Mankey's the one who doesn't deserve you, and you know—"

Ron stopped, knowing he had come very close to having an "I-told-you-so" moment, and he knew that would make Kim feel even worse. He sighed and listened to her sobbing quietly, drying her eyes with the balled-up tissues. And all of a sudden, the next words came tumbling out naturally, as if coming from his heart rather than his head.

"You know there's someone better for you out there, KP; someone who doesn't go out with you just because you're the cheerleading captain or the famous crime-fighting hero. The guy for you is…is someone who loves you for _exactly_ what you are: good mood or bad mood, pretty or ugly, or whatever. _That's _the kind of guy that's worth staying with."

Ron looked right into her emerald green eyes when he said this, never noticing before just how bright and expressive they were. She still looked so beautiful, even when she was crying, her face flushed red and her eyelashes dewed with tears. His arm around her shoulders had pulled her so close to him that their faces were now mere inches apart. And then, before he could stop himself, Ron had placed his hand on top of hers, rubbing the smooth skin with his thumb. To his great relief, Kim didn't pull away.

"Thanks, Ron," Kim whispered, feeling the last of her tears drip down her face. "I…I seriously don't know what I'd do without you."

She stared into his brown eyes, and for one wild moment, Ron was sure their lips were going to meet again, no Moodulator this time, nothing but feelings that went beyond the friendship they had kept secure after all these years. And after all those years of keeping his stronger feelings for her safely tucked away, they were all about to come rushing forth with one simple act…

He moved forward slowly, and so did Kim—only to slip her arms around his waist in a fierce bear hug.

_Well…that was romantic,_ Ron thought, his heart sinking.

"You really are the best friend a girl could ever have," Kim mumbled into his shoulder, and Ron's face, and spirits, fell. He returned the friendly embrace, feeling his heart tear in two as easily as if it were made of paper. So he had been wrong after all…the Moodulator kiss had meant nothing to her. It was just goofy, clumsy Ron blowing things out of proportion, like he always did. His vision blurred with tears as he caught the scent of Kim's soft, auburn hair, willing himself not to break down.

They were both jolted out of the moment as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch hour. Kim pulled herself away and smiled at her best friend. "How about we go over that algebra lesson after school?" she suggested, and Ron forced a smile back.

"Sure thing, KP," he said, almost dismissively. He wanted nothing more than for Kim to leave so he could be alone with this feeling he was sure could only be heartbreak, before wandering into class late.

Kim got up from the chair and made for the library door, before a sudden cry stopped her.

"Kim, wait!"

She whirled around to face him, "Yeah?"

Ron swallowed hard, "Uh, you—you know that guy I told you about? The one who loves you for who you are?"

"Yeah?" Kim had turned around slowly, almost expectantly.

"Um, well he…he…"

_Come on, Stoppable, just say it! Tell her you felt something in that kiss!_

"He's...I know he's out there somewhere, waiting for you."

_Dang__ it, you complete idiot!_

"Oh, I don't know," Kim said slowly. "He just might be closer than I thought."

Ron's eyes, clenched shut, flew open at those words. Did she really just—?

Kim strolled up beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Ron was stunned silent as the electricity shot through his veins, just as it had before…

"Alright, that enough of _that_!" came the harsh voice of Ms. Hatchet, back from her lunch break. "Get to class before I write you both up for detention!"

Blushing brightly, Kim dashed from the room with Ron at her heels. "See you!" she called, heading into English.

Ron made a detour to his locker and leaned against the door for a few moments. His eyes closed as he touched the spot on his face where Kim had kissed him, still tingling with the warmth of her lips on his skin.

_She's right_, he thought serenely. _There __are__ still fireworks._

* * *

A/N: Copyright Confession Time: Ron's heart-to-heart with Kim _did_ include a line from the film "Juno" that goes a little something like this:

"...the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person is still going to think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with."

Please don't sue!

Anyways, hope you enjoyed my sweet little ficlet here. Please read and review!


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